FRISCO, Texas — It is no secret it has been an arduous year for the Dallas Cowboys. Players donning the iconic Star have dealt with a myriad of challenges in 2020 including an unprecedented number of injuries, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the loss of strength and conditioning coordinator, Markus Paul. Through it all, wide receiver Amari Cooper has had a remarkable season despite a banged up offensive line and revolving door at quarterback.
“He [Amari Cooper] is very consistent, “head coach Mike McCarthy described to D210SPORTS following the team’s 37-17 victory over the Eagles. “He is so explosive. He has the ability to play inside and outside and he also has the vertical speed to go over the top.”
Last year, Cooper faced heavy criticism on road game splits. He was not as productive on the road with dwindling numbers. There was also the narrative swirling around about attitude issues and No.19 quitting on routes. This season frankly, there is no room for doubt to creep in on the Cowboys’ No.1 wide receiver’s ability or effort. The road game splits have vanished and following Sunday’s win, he surpassed 1,000 receiving yards on the season. It marks his fifth 1,000-yard season and third consecutive. The Alabama product is just the 11th player in NFL history to open a career with at least five 1,000-yard seasons in his first six years.
McCarthy stressed to D210, “If you watched his season, the productivity in my experience is he just kind of chips away at you. And all of a sudden, he has the ability to break the long way. That speaks to his numbers. He is pushing over 90 catches plus over 1,000 yards. That is a workload. That is Amari’s skillset. He is a receiver that has all the tools.”
His success on the gridiron and resume speaks for itself. Cooper’s route-running is often viewed as an unparalleled element to his game. Against the Birds, his fluidity was on full display as he hit 121 yards receiving. His 69-yard reception was the club’s longest of the season.
With 10:16 left in the third quarter from second and six, Eagles’ cornerback Michael Jacquet lined up across from Cooper in man-to-man. Cooper faked like he was going to run an out route towards the sideline, adjusted his feet with a quick chop step and hard break, instantaneously taking off in the opposite direction on a quick slant inside. He made the catch with Jacquet on the ground behind him, broke through a tackle, and was forced out of bounds inside the twenty-yard line.
Cooper consistently gains separation with his burst off the line of scrimmage and how effortlessly he goes in and out of his breaks. The inquisitive wide receiver plays a lot of chess in his spare time and it translates between the hash marks. He wins the one-on-one chess match with corners more often than not. Sunday, his skills were showcased in a major statistical way but all season long his production has been evident. Throughout the 2020 season, he may not have been targeted if the quarterback was under pressure or did not have time to see Cooper wide open on his read, but he was still breaking free from his traveling CB to make himself available.
Regardless if the ball comes his way, he does his job. Cooper can be lined up anywhere on the field and forces defenses to identify where he is at on every snap. He can run every route on the route tree with speed, precision, and awareness. Regardless of how the Cowboys’ season has played out, Cooper is well deserving of the numerical honor.
